cc: PARRYML@aol.com date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 11:21:06 EST from: Cynparry@aol.com subject: ACACIA UPDATE to: n.w.arnell@soton.ac.uk, martin.beniston@unifr.ch, gberz@munichre.com, bindi@sunserver.iata.fi.cnr.it, keith@ices.dk, tim.carter@vyh.fi, cramer@pik-potsdam.de, s.desclers@ucl.ac.uk, andrew_dlugolecki@uk.cu.com, jiholten@online.no, m.hulme@uea.ac.uk, A.C.Imeson@frw.uva.nl, A.Jordan@uea.ac.uk, seppo.kellomaki@joensuu.fi, s.kovats@lshtm.ac.uk, lavorel@cefe.cnrs-mop.fr, I.Lorenzoni@uea.ac.uk, p.martens@icis.unimaas.nl, r.nicholls@mdx.ac.uk, jorgene.olesen@agrsci.dk, mats.oquist@tema.liu.se, t.oriordan@uea.ac.uk, j.palutikof@uea.ac.uk, A.H.Perry@swansea.ac.uk, rounsevell@geog.ucl.ac.be, r.k.turner@uea.ac.uk To all ACACIANS The purpose of this is to bring ACACIANS up to date with recent developments, which have been as follows: 1) We are still wrestling with the dismal administrative failure by University College London, UEA and the Commission to complete the transfer of funds from Martin's previous employees (UCL) to his new university (UEA). Consequently, we have had no funds to work with since last September, nor do we have a clear picture of how much is as yet unspent and thus have a secure basis on which to plan the future. This is why we have undertaken no serious new work since last October. 2) However, things have been happening, which are as follows: (a) Most of you attended the Policymakers Meeting, hosted by CEC DG XII in Brussels on 12th October. The complete report of ACACIA, which was tabled as a document at this meeting, was sent in advance to the participants at the meeting. All of you should have a copy of this, with black and white diagrams. (b) ACACIA gave a presentation (Cramer and Parry) at the 5th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCC in Bonn on 4th November. I am mailing to you a hard copy of an ACACIA 'flyer' which was distributed at the meeting. ACACIA was selected, with one other CEC research project related to climate change, to represent DG XII's extensive suite of projects. So this was something of a compliment. 3) Prof. José Moreno, of the ACACIA Steering Committee, arranged and hosted a meeting in Toledo on 28th February. The following ACACIA authors made presentations to an audience which included students, policymakers, the media, and politicians (including the Federal Minister of Environment): Nigel Arnell, Wolfgang Cramer, Marco Bindi, Jorgen Olesen, Allen Perry, Pim Martens and Martin Parry. There was quite extensive reporting in press and on radio and TV. 4) I have written to you separately requesting your suggested names of reviewers because we wish now to move on to the review process (which is necessary but which is largely without costs and therefore something we can enter into. 5) However, we have had to withhold decisions concerning preparation of the policy-related 30 page summary. We were initially talking with Andrew Jordan and his colleagues about making a first draft of this. As soon as it is clear what budget remains, I will be back in touch with Jordan in order to proceed, if possible, with this. 6) We need to consider what next steps can be taken to achieve the third of ACACIA's objectives which is: to make recommendations concerning the design specifications of an in-depth Europe-wide research programme that adequately addresses impacts and adaptations of climate change in Europe, in other words the inferences we can draw from the ACACIA report concerning what research is need in the FUTURE (it may be possible to do this off-line or Martin may suggest a brief meeting in April or May). 7) Martin will be in touch shortly concerning plans for publication and the June Open Conference which will launch the printed ACACIA report. 8) A follow-up piece of research to ACACIA was submitted to the Fifth Framework of CEC DG XII in time for the deadline on 15 February. As Martin previously indicated, it was felt necessary to reduce the component of this programme (since it is a research project rather than a concerted action) to a limited number of fields and to a limited number of institutes (several proposals in the first round of the Fifth Framework call were rejected because they were considered as over large and administratively awkward). I hope that you will understand that if you were not involved in this proposal (ENCACIA) this in NO WAY reflects any judgement on the content of your work for ACACIA: it had everything to do with field of study and geographical spread of research institutes. Kind regards, Cynthia Cynthia Parry ACACIA Project Jackson Environment Institute University of East Anglia Norwich, NR47TJ United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1603 593 797 Fax: +44 (0) 1603 593 896 E-mail: cynparry@aol.com